The MTV VMAs 2023
Ice Spice accepts the VMA for Best New Artist | Photo Credit: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/ Getty Images
The MTV Video Music Awards are an annual fan-voted awards show in the United States that occurs every September. The Video Music Awards celebrate achievements in the music industry, such as “Best Music Video” or “Artist of the Year”, and are also known for their live performances by nominees or winners.
This year’s VMAs took place on Sept. 12 at Prudential Centre in New Jersey. Popular musical artists including, Doja Cat, Shakira, Nicki Minaj, Stray Kids, Måneskin, and Lil Wayne were some of this show’s live performers. Major winners this year were Taylor Swift, taking home 9 awards out of her 11 nominations; Olivia Rodrigo (Best Editing); Ice Spice (Best New Artist); Nicki Minaj (Best Hip Hop); SZA (Best R&B); Måneskin (Best Rock); and Lana Del Rey (Best Alternative).
Boy band NSYNC shocked the audience by reuniting for the first time after their breakup in 2004 to present “Best Pop Award” to Taylor Swift. Olivia Rodrigo also performed at the show, performing her new songs “vampire” and “get him back”. During the “vampire” performance, there was a stage “malfunction” that shocked many audience members, and Selena Gomez’s reaction to the incident from the crowd went viral. The “malfunction” ended up being a planned idea that replicated the “vampire” music video; Rodrigo continued on to her next song as if nothing happened.
Pop superstar Taylor Swift | Photo Credit: Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images via CNN
The VMAs dealt with some controversy about SZA’s lack of nomination for “Artist of the Year”. She was slated to perform, but ended up pulling out of the show entirely.
“Obviously, she had one of the best years, if not the best year, of any artist up to this point,” SZA’s manager Terence “Punch” Henderson said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “It just doesn’t really make any sense to me. It is disrespectful.” SZA’s album SOS has been in the top ten of the Billboard almost every week this year and was number one for ten weeks.
MTV did not give a clear answer to Henderson as to why she wasn’t at least nominated for “Artist of the Year.” Some of the nominees of the award had not released albums since the previous VMAs Awards ceremony, and she was encouraged to not attend the ceremony by her team. However, SZA still won “Best R&B Video”, but was not there to give a speech.